Working out after my operation
I've finally caught up with my blog posts. This morning. second day after my operation, I wondered whether I should I start a workout or leave it another day? Decided to give it a go with some slight alterations and less reps and with 1lb weights (so much easier than my usual 10 lb weights!!!). I felt really good this morning (and quite honestly I was itching to do something having sat, relaxed and rested most of yesterday!!!)
First exercise of circuits was push ups. Decided to do them off the wall. 10 complete. BIG smile on my face. (Usually it's 20 off the floor but who cares - I'm doing them). Squats no problems with a lighter weight and then into the up right row - careful, careful - making sure my brest didn't pull - it felt fine - away we go ... slowly. Completed my four rounds. High five (ouch, now that hurt). I moved through the whole of Module 1 doing all the four circuits and tfour sets. Only needed to change the stability ball rollout to pullover on the bench. I found that lateral raises pulled at my breast tissue using a light weight so I did that exercise without any weights. Planks were a breeze though I cut from my usual 90 second hold to a 30 second hold.
My husband, watched me carefully (to make sure I wasn't doing anything silly) decided, just as I finished my workout, to grab the bathroom. Great! Rather than sit and do nothing it was onto the treadmill. A bit of cardio would get the blood flowing.
I started at 2 kph butc ould only walk at 4 kph (instead of my usual 6.4 kph) Over 4 kph, even wearing a compression bra, my boobs bounced and I could feel the scar tissue in my breast pulling I remained walking at 4 kph and increased the incline to 22%. Half an hour later I felt marvellous and it was into the bathroom to shower and to finally have a really good look at my breast. (This is the hardest thing - yesterday it was a quick glance as it was so bruised, swollen and well the dent looked awful).
Deep breath and off came the bra. My scar is darker than yesterday but the bruising has faded. It's slightly red around the scar tissue and where the tissue was removed from my breast. The breast is tender to touch. The swelling has also reduced and my bra is far more comfortable - I am not oozing out the left cup as I did yesterday. Nor does my left breast look that much larger than my right as it did yesterday. It looks okay - much better than I expected and it is not too bad to look at. I can live with it. (I'll just think of the scar as being my medal of honour).
When I retired last night I had the blues. Probably because my breast felt sore and also because I received my Breast Cancer Pack in the post yesterday ... I think the pack brought it home to me that I really did have breast cancer ... it was not pre-cancer I had - it was breast cancer! Plus the stress of the operation and of course the wait for the pathology report (hopefully Monday). I felt quite sorry for myself. Then I thought how lucky I was compared to others ... I haven't had any nodes taken out, I haven't had a mastectomy and most of all I probably won't require chemo all huge pluses in the scheme of things. A few silent tears (hubby was sleeping) and I felt better.
Thankfully, today, I woke in my usual happy mood. The workout helped and I'm in a good frame of mind. My blues have departed ... and I'm smiling 
